Seed-planter.



Wf TNE SSES 32 33 Altarney THE mmms r-srsns co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

PATENTE- 1350.17 19 v. T. L. BBAMAN.

SBED PLANTER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.17. 1906.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

TIMOTHY L. BEAMAN,OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SEED-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907'.

Application filed September 1'7, 1906- Serial No. 334,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY L. BEAMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee,have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Seed-Planters, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing.

My improvement relates particularly to machines for planting corn andcotton seed; but it is applicable to machines for planting other seedsand also to machines for distributing fertilizers.

The object of the invention is to provide an efficient machine forplanting cotton seed, or corn, or other seeds, the machine beingpreferably convertible for the planting of either corn or cotton seed sothat a single machine will answer for these two kinds of work.

One of the peculiarities of the improvement is that the discharge is insight of the i o erator whether the machine is used for p ating cottonseed or other seed or for distributing fertilizer, so that the operatormay always know whether or not the hopper is empty and whether thedropping mechanism is operating. 1

Another peculiarity of the improvement is that when the machine is usedfor planting cotton seed, the seed is so worked as to overcome themassing or clinging of the seeds to each other and positively movesubstantially uniform quantities of seed through the discharge devices.

To this end, the machine embodies a hopper having an opening at thelower portion of its upright wall, discharge mechanism for positivelytaking approximately uniform quantities of cotton seed through saidopening, and a shifting bottom for moving the seed in the hopper towardsaid opening.

The improvement also embodies eflicient and convenient means for varyingthe quantity of corn planted when the machine is used as a corn planter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a part sectional sideelevation of a single row planter embodying my improvement; Fig. 2 is aplan on the line 2*2 of Fig. 1, the dropping mechanism being set oradjusted for planting corn and similar seeds which do not adhere to eachother; Fig. 3 is a similar plan with the mechanism converted forplanting cotton seed or distributing fertilizer; Fig. 1 is a section onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3 Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the mechanism shownby Fig. 3, (looking toward the left in Fig. 3)

Fig. 6 is a modification of the lower half of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is asection like Fig. 1, excepting that the parts are partially separatedand sprocket mechanism is applied for turning the cotton seed dischargemember.

The planter illustrated by Fig. 1 is, as to its main features, of thewell known type.

A is 'a hopper resting above the dropping mechanism.

B is a frame.

O is one of the handles and D is a driving wheel. On the driving wheelis a bevel gear wheel, E, meshing with the bevel gear wheel, F, on thedriving shaft, G. Said driving shaft transmits power to the drivingmechan- .ism, as will be hereinafter described.

H is the usual funnel or spout by which the seed or fertilizer isconducted downward from the dropping mechanism.

The foundation to which the dropping devices are applied is a baseplate, 1, mounted upon the frame, B. Base plates generically like thishave heretofore been used. From the middle of said plate rises the neck,2. Surrounding said neck and resting upon the face of said base plate isthe seed plate, 3. Said seed plate is circular or disk-form and has atits middle a tubular neck, 4, conforming to the neck, 2, of the baseplate. Above the necks, 2 and 4;, is a flat washer, 5, and a set bolt,6, extends downward through said washer into the neck, 2, the latterneck being a little higher than the neck, 1, so that said bolt andwasher bind upon the neck, 2, and leave the neck, 4,, and. the seedplate, 3, free to rotate. On the lower face of the seed plate is a groupof cog teeth, 7, concentric with the axis of the neck, 2, and a smallspur gear wheel, 8, surrounding the drive shaft, G, meshes with theteeth, 7, for the rotation of the seed plate. This means of drivingsimilar seed plates has been heretofore used.

A flange, 9, rises from the margin of the base plate, 1, at the frontand sides of the latter. The lower edge of the wall of the hopper isreceived within said. flange. 1 At one side the base of the hopper hastwo feet, 10, which engage in holes, 11, inv the base plate, 1, while atthe opposite side the base of the hopper has two parallel cars, 12,resting on each side of a corresponding ear rising from the base plate.Said ears maybe secured by a suitable pin or key (not shown) passingthrough said ears.

In the rear portion of the base plate is an opening, 14, and beneathsaid opening, andextending rearward thereof beyond the rear edge of thebase plate is the funnel or spout, 11, through which the seeds conductedfrom the dropping mechanism. Near the periphery of the seed plate, 3, inproper position to register with the opening, 14, are any desired.number of apertures, 15, constituting seed cells or cups (see Fig. 2).

Between the cups, 15, and the neck, 4, are a series of upright studs,16, of any desired number. Figs. 2 and 3 show six such studs,equi-distant from each other and in a circle concentric to the axis ofthe seed plate. Said seed plate may be stamped or cast and is to be ofproper thickness to make the cups, 15, of the desired depth. Upon theseed plate rests a sheet metal cut-off plate, 17, which hasperforations, 18, through which the studs, 16, rise and engage saidplate, 1.7, so that the latter must rotate with the seed plate. The saidcut-off plate has any desired number of apertures, 19, registering withthe cups, 1.5. If said cut-off plate has a smaller number of suchapertures than the number of cups, 15, a portion of said cups arecovered or cut ofi from service. One half, or any other number, of theseed cups may be thus cut off. Fig. 2 shows only six of said cupsexposed for action. Several sets of said cut-0H plates, having differentnumbers of apertures, 19, may accompany each machine, so that theplanting capacity of the machine may be readily varied by substitutingone of the cutoff plates for another. When no seeds are to go throughthe seed plate, but through the rear wall of the hopper, above the seedplate, a cut-off plate having no apertures, 19, is placed upon the seedplate, as shown in Fig. 3. This is preferably done when the mechanism isto be used for planting or distributing cotton seed or fertilizer orsimilar material not adapted to go through the seed plate.

When the seeds are to go through the seed plate, and the cut-off plate,17, a plate, 20, is placed into the opening, 20, in the rear wall of thehopper whereby the latter is closed. (See Fig. 2.) Above the cut-olfplate a false or secondary wall, 21, is applied to the wall of thehopper within and opposite the opening, far enough inward to allow theapertures, 19 and 15, to pass beneath and rearward of said false wall.Said false wall constitutes awiper for pushing back the seeds restingupon the upper face of the cut-off plate, and said wall may be yieldingso as to constitute a yielding wiper or said wall may be unyielding anda yielding wiper be placed in front of said wall in the positionindicated by the circle, 22, the seed plate rotating in the direction ofthe arrow. (As any well known form of yielding wiper may be used forthis purpose, I deem it unnecessary to show and describe such a Wiper indetail.)

or fertilizers are 1 through downward after being discharged I movedfrom the opening,

When the machine is,to be used for planting cotton seed or distributingfertilizer or some other material not adapted to pass the seed plate,the plate, 20, is re- 20, and the spiderform discharge wheel or member,23, mounted upon the extension, 24, of the base plate, 1, by means ofthe neck, 25, washer, 26, and set bolt, 27, (see Figs. 3 and 4) aresubstituted,

1 said discharge member extending over the seed plate and the cut-offplate to bring the .arms, 28, of the discharge wheel or member,

into the path of the studs, 16, which rise from the seed plate throughthe cut-off plate. Thus the discharge member is brought into suchoperative relation with the seed plate as that when the seed plate isrotated, the studs, 1.6, will engage and move the arms, 28, one afterthe other and cause the rotation of said member in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the arms of said member movingrearward out of the hopper beneath the false wall, 21, and through theopening, 20. WVhen cotton seed or similar material rests upon thecut-off plate within the hopper, the portions of such material comingWithin the range of said arms are swept rearward by said arms beneathsaid false wall and through said opening into the funnel or spout, H andby the rotation of the seed plate all the seed in the hopper is broughtwithin range of the spider arms. To facilitate such action a deflector,29, may be placed immediately above the cut-off plate and between thefalse wall, 21, and the adjacent portion of the wall of the hopper andthe adjacent path of the free or outer ends of said spider arms. Saiddeflector serves to provide the movement of the cotton seed or similarmaterial readily away from the spider and out of engagement with thespider arms while the latter are passing beneath said false wall andthrough the space between said false wall and the hopper. This deflectormay be applied in a variety of ways. In Figs. 3 and 5, it is shownsecured to the rear base of the false wall by means of two screws, 30.It may be removed for corn planting if so desired.

To agitate the masses of cotton seeds or similar material the studs, 16,may rise to any desired height above the cut-off plate, or a post, 31,may be placed upon any number of said studs. Figs. 2, 3, and 4, show apost upon one of said studs and I regard this sufficient to keep theseed well agitated for all ordinary work.

It will be observed that the discharge through the seed plate or overthe latter is within view of the operator, so that the operator may atall times know whether the machine is discharging seeds or fertilizer orwhether the hopper has become empty or in any manner clogged. This is ofgreat importance, whatever the material may be.

- ing, substantially as It will be understood that if the machine is tobe used only for the discharge of the seed or other material by means ofthe discharge member, the cut-cit plate may be omitted and the seedplate made without the cups or apertures, 15, such rotary plate servingto bring the seed to the discharge member. It will also be understoodthat for the planting of cotton seed and similar material the cut-offplate may be omitted and the seed plate shown by the drawings removedand a similar plate having no seed cups substituted.

In Fig. 6, the studs, 16, are omitted so that this means of rotating thedischarge member is eliminated. As a substitute construction, theperiphery of the seed plate is provided with gear teeth, 32, which meshwith a small spur gear wheel, 33, attached to the lower side oi saiddischarge member. Still another construction for the rotation of thedischarge member has the shaft, 34, rigid with said wheel and rotatablein the bearing, 35, in the base plate, 1, and to the lower end of saidshaft is applied a sprocket wheel, 36, and to said sprocket wheel isapplied a sprocket chain, 37, which is in engagement with. anothersprocket wheel, not shown, preferably on the axle of the driving wheel,D.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the nathre described, a hopper, a horizontal, rotaryplate at the bottom of said hopper, an opening in the wall of saidhopper above said rotary plate, and a horizontal discharge memberextending into said opening above said plate, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal, rotaryplate in the lower portion of said hopper, an opening in the lowerportion of the rear wall of said hop per above said plate, and adischarge member extending into said opening above said plate,substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a shifting bottom forsaid hopper, an opening in the lower portion of the wall of said hopperabove said plate, a horizontal discharge member extending into saidopening, and means for actuating said member, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a machine oithe nature described, a

hopper, a horizontal, rotary plate in the lower portion of said hopper,an opening in the lower portion of the wall of said hopper above saidplate, and a horizontal rotary discharge member extending into saidopendescribed.

5. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal, rotaryplate at the bottom of said hopper, an opening in the wall of saidhopper above said rotary plate, a horizontal discharge member extendinginto said opening above said plate and in operative relation with saidrotary plate to receive rotation therefrom, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal, rotaryplate in the lower portion of said hopper, an opening in the lowerportion of the rear wall of said hopper above said plate, and adischarge member extending'into said opening and into operative relationwith said rotary plate for actuating said discharge member,substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal, rotaryplate having lugs rising from its upper surface, an opening in the lowerportion of the rear wall of said hopper above said plate, a horizontaldischarge member extending into said opening and into engagement withsaid lugs, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, 'a horizontal,apertured rotary plate in the lower portion of said hopper, an openingin the lower portion of the rear wall of said hopper, a cut-off plateextending over said rotary plate and a discharge member extending intosaid opening, and means for actuating said discharge member,substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal,apertured rotary plate in the lower portion of said hopper, an openingin the lower portion of the rear wall of said hopper, a cut-off plateextending over said rotary plate and a discharge member extending intosaid opening and into operative relation with one of said plates foractuating said discharge member, substantially as de- 100 scribed.

10. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal, rotaryplate in the lower portion of said hopper, an opening in the lowerportion of the rear Wall of said hop- 105 per, a discharge memberextending into said opening and into operative relation with said platefor actuating said discharge member, and a cut-off plate extending oversaid rotary plate, substantially as described.

11. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal, rotaryplate having lugs rising from its upper surface, and a cutoil' plateresting upon said rotary plate and engaging said lugs, substantially asde- 115 scribed.

12. In amachine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal, rotaryplate having lugs rising from its upper surface, an opening in the lowerportion of the rear wall of said 120 hopper, a cut-off plate extendingover said rotary plate and around said lugs, and a discharge memberextending into said opening and into engagement with said. lugs,substantially as described.

- 13. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal,rotary plate in the lower portion of said hopper, a cut-off plateextending over and engaged by said rotary plate, an opening in the lowerportion of the 130 rear Wall of said hopper, and a discharge memberextending into said opening, substantially as described.

14. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a rotary seed platehaving apertures or cups, and a cut-off plate resting upon and inengagement With said seed plate, substantially as described.

15. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a rotary platehaving apertures or cups, and a cut-ofi' plate resting upon and inengagement With said seed plate and having apertures adapted to registerWith the apertures or cups of the seed plate, substantially asdescribed.

16. In a machine of the nature described, a hopper, a horizontal rotaryplate at the bottom of said hopper, an opening in the Wall of saidhopper above said rotary plate, a false Wall adjacent said opening, adischarge member extending into said opening beneath said false Wall andabove said plate, substantially as described.

17. In a machine of the nature described, a

hopper, a horizontal, rotary plate at the bottom of said hopper, anopening in the Wall of said hopper above said rotary plate, a removabledischarge member extending into said opening above said plate, and meansfor closing said opening after the removal of said discharge member,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, in presence of twoWitnesses, this 13th day of September, in the year one thousand ninehundred and six.

TIMOTHY L. BEAMAN.

Witnesses:

CYRUs KEHR, C. A. MORSE.

